The Basis of Pragmaticism

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Original JPG File

Resource ID

9939

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Contributed by

Frederik Wellmann

date (Robin)

c. 1905

type of material

A. MS.

description

Of the different senses of "philosophy," preference is stated for that sense in which it is synonymous with cenoscopy, i.e., the study of common experience. The need for a technical nomenclature and terminology in the idioscopic sciences. The situation in philosophy is somewhat different. Philosophy needs to admit "into its language a body of words of vague significations with which to identify those vague ideas of ordinary life which it is its business to analyze." Logical analysis is not always adequate. Examples from the history of philosophy, especially Kant and Leibniz, of irresponsibility in logical analysis. Kant's use of "necessary" and "universal." Blunders in logical analysis inevitable until proper method (pragmaticism) is adopted. Specifically, blunders result from the failure of philosophers to understand and accept the logic of relations. Elementary discussion of existential graphs ("quite the luckiest find that has been gained in exact logic since Boole"). CSP reflects bitterly on treatment received from institutions and publishers.